• • GM Datu Dieter Knuettel began his Arnis training in 1978, his first FMA teacher was Jackson Cui Brocka, whose teachers were Ernesto and Roberto Presas
  • In 1983, he traveled to the Philippines for a three-month training stay to train with the following Modern Arnis Grandmasters: Ernesto Presas, Roberto Presas, Cristino Vasquez, Rene Tongson, Rodel Dagooc, Willie Annang, Roland Dantes and others, such as Eulogio, Momoy, Cacoy and Dionisio Canete.
  • Since 1984, he and the DAV (not only) regularly invites Filipino grandmasters to Germany for courses. GM Datu Dieter is a graduate sports teacher and was co-founder of the DAV in 1985.
  • Since the founding he is DAV national coach and was European Modern Arnis representative of Grandmaster Remy Presas from 1996 until his death in 2001.
  • In 1996 he received the title of DATU (as the 4th of 6 people and the only European) and the 6th Dan from Grandmaster Remy Presas.
  • In March 2003, he was awarded the Lakan Pito, 7th Dan Modern Arnis by a panel of four 8th Dan and one 9th Dan in Manila.
  • On July 25, 2008, in IloIlo (Philippines), he received the 8th Dan Modern Arnis with the simultaneous appointment of Grand Master.
  • On March 20, 2014, he received in Subic (Philippines) the 9th Dan Modern Arnis the Philippine Modern Arnis Grand Masters.
  • In 2014 he received the LAKAN SIYAM (9th Dan) from the Modern Arnis Council and FMA Council of the Philippines during the 7th FMA World Festival Subic (Philippines)

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• In September 2016, he was awarded the 10th Dan Modern Arnis by GM Roberto Presas, 10th Dan, the only non-Filipino to do so.

GM Datu Dieter has been exam chairman for over 500 Dan exams in the DAV, which according to international opinion (USA, Philippines) is one of the largest and best organized national Modern Arnis associations in the world.
Since 1985 almost 7000 people have been members of the DAV and the summer camps and special courses (Best of the West, 25 years DAV) are always very well attended with sometimes over 200 participants.

Since 1980 GM Datu Dieter has given about 800 weekend courses, about 100 of them abroad, in the following countries:
Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, France, England, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, USA, Australia and the Philippines.

Today, one of his main goals is to maintain a good contact with all Modern Arnis associations in the world, which is why he founded the FMA Festival in Germany in 2002, together with Alfred Plath, and was a founding member of the “Worldwide Family of Modern Arnis”, WFMA, in the Philippines in 2006.